Iconic Capa War Photo Could be a Fake

Robert Capa’s famous photograph, Falling Soldier, may be the latest addition to a growing list of art fakes. The image, taken in 1936, depicts a soldier in the Spanish Civil War at the moment of his death, twisting towards the ground as a rifle falls from his hands. But a new book, Shadows of Photography, a Spanish researcher named Jose Manuel Susperregui suggests that the photo was not taken at the town of Cerro Muranio, as was originally thought, but outside the town of Espejo, 35 miles away. It may seem like a small difference, but according to Susperregui, that’s evidence that the photo was staged, similar to the other photos from the series on that front. And along with the help of the Spanish press, he managed to match the background of the photo with a current location. Historians add more evidence: the fighting in Espejo had not yet begun when Capa passed through.